JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville University softball team opened up their final homestand of the season Thursday afternoon at the Debbie & Fred Pruitt Softball Complex as they welcomed Florida Atlantic University to campus. The Dolphins (25-16) scored early in game one and made the runs last before posting a pair of big innings in a run-rule shortened game two, sweeping both contests from the Owls (12-31) by scores of 2-0 and 8-0 in six innings.
The afternoon started with a pair of scoreless innings in game one, as the two starters matched each other nearly pitch-for-pitch in the early going. Jacksonville broke the seal and scored the only runs of the game in the third inning, when freshman
Allison Bratek singled through the left side past the dive of the FAU shortstop with two outs to score
Victoria Rodebaugh and
Samantha Poehlman to make it 2-0.
Those two runs would be all starter
Alyssa Bilodeau (10-7) would need, going the distance for the 14th time this season and recording her seventh shutout behind 13 strikeouts while allowing just two hits. The redshirt senior from La Plata, Maryland became just the second player in the history of JU softball to reach the 600-strikeout mark in a career, joining Sarah Sigrest who played from 2009-12.
Bratek went 2-3 at the plate to lead the way for JU while Rodebaugh,
Abby Quinn and
Hannah Roberts also recorded hits. Poehlman, who did not record an official at bat in the game, reached base three times with a pair of walks and a hit by pitch.
Game two started off with a scoreless first inning despite the Dolphins getting a one-out baserunner in their first trip to the plate in the game. They wouldn't have to wait long for the offense to arrive, however, as in the second inning
Madison Kennedy drove a 2-1 offering out to straightaway centerfield for her eight homerun of the season to add to her team-leading total. After a groundout,
Ashley Darakjian singled to second base and promptly stole second, advancing to third after the throw from the catcher careened into centerfield.
Kari Holzrichter reached base next when the FAU shortstop's throw sailed wide and pulled first base off the bag to put runners at the corners.
Madison Reynolds entered to pinch run and after a foul out made it two outs in the inning,
Victoria Rodebaugh stepped in and drove a 1-1 pitch into the right field corner to score both runners and make it 3-1 JU.
Jacksonville's fourth run of the game scored in the fourth inning when Holzrichter scored on a passed ball by the Owls' catcher.
After being retired in order in the fifth, the Dolphins came out swinging in the sixth inning.
Makenzie Buss led the inning off with an infield single before Darakjian singled back through the box into centerfield. Holzrichter loaded the bases when she singled through the left side of the Owls infield. Pinch hitter
Caroline Watson stepped to the plate and sent the first pitch she saw back where it came from to score a run and make it 5-0. With the run-rule looming, Rodebaugh stepped in and worked the count, battling with two strikes until she cleared the bases and ended things early with triple to the right field corner that was nearly identical to her two-run double earlier to wrap things up by a score of 8-0.
Skylar Whitty (8-7) picked up the win in the circle, working six shutout innings and allowing just four hits and striking out one and not issuing any walks. Whitty, who began her career at FAU in 2019, worked her way out of some trouble early, getting a lineout to work out of a bases-loaded jam in the second before being the fortunate recipient of a double play in the third. With one out and two runners in scoring position, the batter popped out in foul territory to
Hannah Roberts near the FAU dugout. With home plate left vacated on the play, the runner on third tagged up and attempted to score FAU's first run of the day, but Whitty managed get back to the dish in time to field the flip from Roberts and make the tag for the third out of the inning.
Rodebaugh went 2-4 with five RBI in the game while Darakjian and Holzrichter each went 2-3 with two runs scored.
Madison Kennedy went 1-3 with an RBI and a run scored as the Dolphins combined to post 10 hits in the contest.
The Dolphins wrap up the regular season Sunday opposite North Alabama in doubleheader action starting at 11 AM. The eight seniors on this year's team will be recognized in a ceremony before the start of game one.
